7α-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-cholestenoic acid in cerebrospinal fluid reflects the integrity of the blood-brain barrier
2014
Ahmed Saeed | Federico Floris | Ulla Andersson | Irina Pikuleva | Anita Lövgren-Sandblom | Maria Bjerke | Martin Paucar | Anders Wallin | Per Svenningsson | Ingemar Björkhem
There is a continuous flux of the oxysterol 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) from the circulation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the brain. The major metabolite of 27-OHC in the brain is 7α-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-cholestenoic acid (7-HOCA). We confirm a recent report describing the presence of this metabolite in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at a relatively high concentration. A simple and accurate method was developed for assay of 7-HOCA in CSF based on isotope dilution-mass spectrometry and use of 2H4-labeled internal standard. The concentration of this metabolite was found to be markedly increased in CSF from patients with a dysfunctional BBB. There was a high correlation between the levels of 7-HOCA in CSF and the CSF/serum albumin ratio. The concentration of 7-HOCA in CSF was not significantly affected by neurodegeneration. Our findings suggest that 7-HOCA could be used as a diagnostic marker for conditions with a dysfunctional BBB.
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